Blog / charity

If you read a significant number of blogs or magazines, you've probably heard about the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book is by the Japanese organizational consultant Marie Kondo, and has a magical effect of inspiring you to clean out your closets and drawers. I started reading the book in December, and ever since, I've been employing its tips for simplification and de-cluttering, which includes taking the time to clean and organize my sewing room.


While sorting through drawers, I came across a number of cut fabric squares from past projects. Rather than letting them languish any longer, I decided to turn them into quilt tops for my local chapter of Project Linus, and get them out the door.


Each top is crib size, and features polka dots, solids, calico prints, and white borders. Each was a quick and satisfying finish, and it's so nice to know that these fabrics will now be put to better use!


Have you read Ms. Kondo's book? Has it left you feeling similarly inspired to organize and de-clutter your space?

Every few months, it's my turn to select a pattern and color palette for a quilt for the members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches to put together. Last week, I finally finished and photographed a quilt that our members started in May, and I'm completely smitten with it.


Using the Circle of Geese pattern---which Christina of Sometimes Crafter featured a paper-piecing tutorialfor on her blog...

In December, I was the quilter for my circle of do. Good Stitches. I decided to keep it simple, since it was the holiday season, and I asked our group members to make two cross blocks, using any shade of solid yellow.


I love, love, love how this quilt turned out! The yellow crosses are so cheery and happy, and I'm so inspired to work with this palette more. I quilted it with a crosshatch pattern...

Way back in, oh, you know, JULY, I tasked my fellow members of the Wish Circle of do. Good Stitches with making two churn dash blocks, using solid black and low-volume prints. Six months later, and during my short holiday break, I finally managed to quilt and bind our quilt---my first finish of 2014!


I was obviously on a black + low-volume print kick when we started this project (my houndstooth...